The initial CAS ruling came when WADA and the UCI requested a global ban of the 2009 Vuelta a España winner after Italian authorities banned Valverde from competing in Italy. Italian anti-doping officials had matched a sample of Valverde's blood, taken from a 2008 Tour de France stage ending in Italy, with a blood bag containing EPO that was seized from a Madrid clinic during the 2006 Operación Puerto investigation.

Valverde contested the Italian officials' right to use evidence seized in Spain, but the Swiss judges upheld the ruling and allowed its expansion to other countries.

Valverde's lawyers are considering an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

--Nick Davidson

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